Lamium maculatum &#39;Purple Dragon&#39;

ABSTRACT

A spotted deadnettle variety named ‘Purple Dragon’, characterized by silver and green variegated leaves and unique in having rich purple colored flowers.

CROSS REFERENCE

[0001] This application is similar to the application previouslysubmitted by Mike Bovio (in which a patent was granted) for his plant,Lamium maculatum ‘Orchid Frost’.

FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH

[0002] This application does not relate to any federally sponsoredresearch.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

[0003] ‘Purple Dragon’ originated as a branch mutation from Lamiummaculatum ‘White Nancy’, which has similar foliage but white flowers.The first successful asexual reproduction of ‘Purple Dragon’ was carriedout by its discoverer, John vanSanden. This propagation took place undercontrolled conditions at Spring Lake, Mich., on Sep. 1, 2000.

[0004] The sport was excised, the bottom leaves removed, treated withIBA, and rooted under intermittent mist over the period of two weeks.Five cuttings rooted and were transplanted into nursery containers forevaluation.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

[0005] After six months in the nursery containers, the plants weretransplanted to growing beds for further evaluation. After observingthem in the landscape, the previously noted unique features continued tobe observed. The plant has since spread and matured and has floweredrepeatedly, each time displaying rich purple flowers.

DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIOUS VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] The accompanying photographic illustrations show typical foliageof the cultivar and the closest known comparison cultivars, with colorbeing as accurate as possible with renditions of this type. Thephotographs were taken at 1 P.M. on Mar. 10, 2001 under partly sunnyconditions, in Spring Lake, Mich. The film used was Kodak Gold ISO 100exposed-for {fraction (1/250)} second at F4 using no filters.

[0007] Illustration 1 is a perspective view of ‘Purple Dragon’.

[0008] Illustration 2 is a perspective view of L. maculatum ‘BeaconSilver’,

[0009] Illustration 3 is a perspective view of L. maculatum ‘Chequers’,

[0010] Illustration 4 is a perspective view of L. maculatum ‘OrchidFrost’,

[0011] Illustration 5 is a perspective view of L. maculatum ‘PinkPewter’,

[0012] Illustration 6 is a perspective of view of L. maculatum ‘RedNancy’,

[0013] Illustration 7 is a combined photo of L. maculatum ‘Shell Pink’,and

[0014] Illustration 8 is a perspective view of L. maculatum ‘WhiteNancy’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

[0015] ‘Purple Dragon’ has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions, and the phenotype may vary significantly withvariations in environment, such as temperature, light intensity and daylength. The following observations, measurements, and comparisonsdescribe this plant as grown in Spring Lake, Mich. when container grown(outdoors without cover) in conditions that approximate those generallyused in commercial practice.

[0016] The following traits have been repeatedly observed and aredetermined to be the basic characteristics of ‘Purple Dragon’, which incombination distinguish this dead nettle as a new and distinct cultivar.The color codes correspond to The Royal Horticultural Society ColorChart.

[0017] 1. Stems of this cultivar arise at acute angles to the growingmedium. As they elongate their weight causes them to droop over andsprawl horizontally—usually contacting the growing medium and rooting into the soil. Typically they reach 12 or more inches in length and oftenproduce branches at their nodes.

[0018] 2. Typical stems are herbaceous and are uniformly colored lightgreen 139-D in youth maturing to grayed-purple 184-A. The stems aresquare in cross section and {fraction (3/16)} inch across.

[0019] 3. Internodes range in length from ¾ to 2½ inches. The nodes are{fraction (3/16)} inch across and often sprout roots after a few weeksof contact with the growing medium. Thereafter, the plants generate apair of new shoots from the buds on the distal end of the nodes.

[0020] 4. Evergreen foliage is simple and arranged in opposite pairs. Inyouth, the foliage is ovate in outline, crenate edged, and coloredeither light green 145-A (about 25 percent of the new leaves are coloredthis way), or bicolored with the same coloration as the mature leaves(see # 5 below).

[0021] 5. Mature leaves are cordate, crenate or crentate-dentatemargined. Ranging from 2 inches long by 1¼ to 1½ inches wide, they areattached by ¾-1¼ inch long light green petioles 135-D. Hair covered,they are somewhat velvety to the touch. Each is flat, with obtuseapices.

[0022] 6. The midribs are not prominent and are only slightly recessedinto the blade. Colored medium green 143-A, they give rise to a networkof secondary and terciary veins of the same color.

[0023] 7. Adult leaves are bicolored. The center is colored gray-green192-C, and the leaf edge green 141-B. The leaf edge surrounds the entireleaf blade and is typically ⅛ inch wide.

[0024] 8. Bisexual flowers are arranged in verticillasters (densewhorls) and are borne primarily during late spring and early summer thenthroughout the summer and fall months. Each whorl may produce up to 30flowers, but not all at the same time.

[0025] 9. Individual flowers are bilabiate (typical of the mint family).The flowers are typically composed of five medium green 143-A, linear,divergent, lobed calyxes. Each corolla is approximately {fraction(8/10)} inch long by {fraction (7/16)} inch wide, two-lipped, upper liphooded, lower lip 3-lobed.

[0026] 10. The funnel-like base of each corolla is colored white 155-D.The upper lip is purple violet 81-C on the inside and purple violet 80-Aon its outside. The midrib of the upper lip is white 155-B, ½ inch long,{fraction (1/32)} inch wide, and divided distally into two thin forks.The lateral lower lips are colored purple 78-A on all sides. The centrallower lip is colored purple 77-A on both both sides.

[0027] 11. The fruit, grouped in fours, is unnoticable with casualobservation. Each is a tiny ⅛ inch long, {fraction (1/16)} inch wide,green 135-D nutlet.

[0028] Other Registered and Related Cultivars of Spotted Dead Nettleare:

[0029] ‘Beacon Silver’, with flowers somewhat smaller ¾ inch long by{fraction (7/16)} inch wide, colored red-purple 68-A on the outside ofthe upper lip of the corolla, and leaves with similar variegation andcoloring (to ‘Purple Dragon’).

[0030] ‘Chequers’, with rose-pink flowers and substantially differentleaves which are smaller (¾ inch long by ¾ inch wide) and centeredgray-green 193-D with a broad ⅜ inch wide dark green 137-A margin.

[0031] ‘Orchid Frost’, with violet colored flowers, the upper lip violet84-C won the inside and violet 84-A on its outside.

[0032] ‘Pink Pewter’ which displays light pink flowers 73-D and smallerfoliage, to 1⅛ inch long and 1 inch wide, colored silvery 192-B withthin {fraction (1/16)} inch wide green 136-B margin.

[0033] ‘Pink Pewter’, has ¾ inch long flowers that are coloredred-purple 73-D. Its leaves are typically 1¼ inch long by ⅝ inch wide.Colored gray-green 192-B in their center, they are surrounded with anirregular ⅕ inch wide margin of dark green 137-D.

[0034] ‘Red Nancy’, has ¾ inch long flowers that are colored violet84-B. Its leaves are typically 1 inch long by ¾ inch wide. Coloredgray-green 192-B in their center, they are surrounded with a thin,{fraction (1/10)} inch wide margin of dark green 137-D.

[0035] ‘Shell Pink’, with ¾ inch long flowers that are colored pink62-C, and leaves smaller, to 1 inch long and 1 inch wide, that arecentered gray-green 192-A with a broad ½ inch wide margin of dark green137-B.

[0036] ‘White Nancy’, with white 155-D flowers measuring ¾ inch long by{fraction (7/16)} inch wide, and leaves with similar variegation, size,and coloring (to ‘Orchid Frost’).

1. The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of Lamiummaculatum, hereafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘Purple Dragon’.‘Purple Dragon’ is a new and distinct variety of spotted dead nettle, anherbaceous perennial from Europe, ‘Purple Dragon’ is unique andoutstanding for its purple flowers, and in addition for its colorfulsilvery centered, green-edged foliage.